Eastside rips Rattlers in other semifinal

Published: Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 8:45 a.m.

Chance after chance slipped away over the first 40 minutes.

Top-seeded Vanguard dictated tempo, playing most of Wednesday night's 4A-5 district semifinal in Leesburg territory. The Knights even held a commanding 12-3 lead in shots through one half of action, but there it was on the Booster Stadium scoreboard: Jackets 1, Knights 0.

Demetri Dejarlais's first-half putback was the difference after the forward split Knight defenders, corralled the rebound, and stuck in the only first-half goal.

On the other end, keeper Byron Lynum's eight saves was enough to keep Vanguard's normally efficient offense in check.

The second half was a different story.

Vanguard was finally able to finish offensive opportunities, scoring three unanswered goals over the final 40 minutes for the 3-1 victory and a spot in Friday's title game.

“We just couldn't find the back of the net,” Vanguard coach Tom Flynn said of the first-half woes. “We re-adjusted in the second half — got the flanks going — and that's where we were able to offset their keeper a little bit. I told them to just play their game, and once they settled down a little bit, that's what they did.

“It's a win. Leesburg fought hard tonight.”

Vanguard's Devin Thomas broke through early in the second half when he picked up a pass from Bryce Ciambella, then beat Lynum to knot the score at 1-1.

The Knights kept up the pressure, holding a 15-0 edge in shots over the second half. But it wasn't until Jordan Cole's perfectly placed corner kick at the 8-minute mark that the Knights claimed their first lead.

Senior Tomas Estrada met Cole's bending shot with a leaping header that put the Knights in control to stay.

Cole picked up his second assist as time was winding down, finding a streaking Ethan Brueggar for the final margin.

Knights keeper David Earnest recorded a pair of saves on the defensive end.

Vanguard (18-1-4) remains unbeaten in district play this season at 11-0-2, and now turns its attention to No. 2 seed Eastside (14-6-3) in the title game, which will be played Friday at 7 p.m.

The Knights are 1-0-1 against the Rams this season, and Flynn sees another tight one in store for his seasoned bunch.

“It's gonna be a tough game,” Flynn said. “But these kids are ready to play. Right now, everything is mental for us.”

Lynum finished with 13 saves for Leesburg, which ends its season at 8-11-2.

EASTSIDE 6, BELLEVIEW 0

James Davis recorded a hat trick and keeper Alon Krauthammer stopped all three shots he saw as the Rams completed a season-sweep of Belleview and cruised into the 4A-5 finals.

Bobby Mardorsky added a goal and three assists for the Rams. Nick Fethiere and Yared Armstrong chipped in single goals for No. 2 seed Eastside.

Rattlers keeper Scotty Webster recorded a dozen saves and forward Nick Ort was an eyelash away from getting Belleview on the board with less than a minute to play, but a diving stop by Krauthammer preserved the shutout.

<p>Chance after chance slipped away over the first 40 minutes.</p><p>Top-seeded Vanguard dictated tempo, playing most of Wednesday night's 4A-5 district semifinal in Leesburg territory. The Knights even held a commanding 12-3 lead in shots through one half of action, but there it was on the Booster Stadium scoreboard: Jackets 1, Knights 0.</p><p>Demetri Dejarlais's first-half putback was the difference after the forward split Knight defenders, corralled the rebound, and stuck in the only first-half goal.</p><p>On the other end, keeper Byron Lynum's eight saves was enough to keep Vanguard's normally efficient offense in check.</p><p>The second half was a different story.</p><p>Vanguard was finally able to finish offensive opportunities, scoring three unanswered goals over the final 40 minutes for the 3-1 victory and a spot in Friday's title game.</p><p>“We just couldn't find the back of the net,” Vanguard coach Tom Flynn said of the first-half woes. “We re-adjusted in the second half — got the flanks going — and that's where we were able to offset their keeper a little bit. I told them to just play their game, and once they settled down a little bit, that's what they did.</p><p>“It's a win. Leesburg fought hard tonight.”</p><p>Vanguard's Devin Thomas broke through early in the second half when he picked up a pass from Bryce Ciambella, then beat Lynum to knot the score at 1-1.</p><p>The Knights kept up the pressure, holding a 15-0 edge in shots over the second half. But it wasn't until Jordan Cole's perfectly placed corner kick at the 8-minute mark that the Knights claimed their first lead.</p><p>Senior Tomas Estrada met Cole's bending shot with a leaping header that put the Knights in control to stay.</p><p>Cole picked up his second assist as time was winding down, finding a streaking Ethan Brueggar for the final margin.</p><p>Knights keeper David Earnest recorded a pair of saves on the defensive end.</p><p>Vanguard (18-1-4) remains unbeaten in district play this season at 11-0-2, and now turns its attention to No. 2 seed Eastside (14-6-3) in the title game, which will be played Friday at 7 p.m.</p><p>The Knights are 1-0-1 against the Rams this season, and Flynn sees another tight one in store for his seasoned bunch.</p><p>“It's gonna be a tough game,” Flynn said. “But these kids are ready to play. Right now, everything is mental for us.”</p><p>Lynum finished with 13 saves for Leesburg, which ends its season at 8-11-2.</p><h3>EASTSIDE 6, BELLEVIEW 0</h3>
<p>James Davis recorded a hat trick and keeper Alon Krauthammer stopped all three shots he saw as the Rams completed a season-sweep of Belleview and cruised into the 4A-5 finals.</p><p>Bobby Mardorsky added a goal and three assists for the Rams. Nick Fethiere and Yared Armstrong chipped in single goals for No. 2 seed Eastside.</p><p>Rattlers keeper Scotty Webster recorded a dozen saves and forward Nick Ort was an eyelash away from getting Belleview on the board with less than a minute to play, but a diving stop by Krauthammer preserved the shutout.</p><p>The Rattlers conclude their season at 8-11-2.</p>